The Impatient Patient

Update after 298 days in hospital… and still counting

I was actually bored enough the other day to look up the dictionary definition of “patient” and, as I expected, there’s a link between the noun and the adjective.

Patient (noun): an individual awaiting or under medical care and treatment

Patient (adjective):

• bearing pains or trials calmly or without complaint

• manifesting forbearance under provocation or strain

• not hasty or impetuous

• steadfast despite opposition, difficulty, or adversity

For nearly 300 days of my hospital stay, I have been both definitions of patient, but even I have my limits.

I still believe I’ll be discharged within the next few weeks, however, the challenge is lining up all the resources I’ll need to come home. While my rehab has thankfully gotten me to the point where I can transfer into my wheelchair independently again, I’m still struggling with the aftermath of my femur fracture. I’m not at the point where I can climb on and off a regular toilet yet, which means we’re having to look at commodes and padded toilet seats that my slightly crooked thigh bone is better able to tolerate.

We’re also still waiting on the completion of the accessible bathroom renovation in our new place, so I won’t be able to shower in our current rental setup. I did have my first hospital shower last week since my injury and it was deeeee-light-ful.

I’m being enrolled in a government-funded program that will provide home care as well as three months of outpatient physiotherapy. The physio piece is huge because I’m still hoping to regain more of my functionality so that I can do things like return to working at my studio and hopping on and off hard-plastic public toilets again.

The home care piece I’m less enthusiastic about. Because of my fragile bones, I’ve always been leery about having near-strangers help me with any kind of care. My time in hospital has forced me to let go of some of my fears, but I have also heard enough horror stories in the disabled community to know that there’s some pretty shoddy home care out there.

I know I can get the care I need safely if I’m respected and listened to, but that sadly doesn’t always happen and that’s a particularly dangerous scenario for me.

Still, I can’t stay in the hospital forever. I was much more patient as a patient when I needed acute care and my discharge date was way off in the distance. Now that discharge is on the horizon and I’m simply waiting for all the bureaucratic bodies to get their ducks in a row, I’m feeling much more antsy and chomping at the bit to get out of here.

So, what have I been doing?

Finished the rough drawings for the picture book project

Rough drawing for a page in “The Perfect Ride”

I was really sweating these for a while given how much of a physical toll my rehab has been taking the past few months, but I am proud to say that all the rough art for “The Perfect Ride” has been submitted to my editor at Owl Kids Books. It’ll now be circulated in-house for feedback and then I’ll hear back from them by late January or early February.

I can do some planning work around colour and style for the final art in the interim, but I’m mostly in a holding pattern on this project for the next few weeks.

Painting more paint-by-numbers

I recently completed my fifth hospital paint-by-number and I’m starting to get a bit of a reputation around the unit for them. I’ve had a number of staff ask where I get mine and I’ve even directed some to the adult paint-by-number tips and tricks guide I wrote last year before my injury.

I started my sixth this week from the last batch I ordered from Craftoria. I’m not planning to order any more for now in the hope that I’ll be back painting my own original work soon.

Listening to lots of audiobooks

Thankfully I was a diehard audiobook listener long before I went into the hospital, but I’ve definitely amped it up since I’ve been here. I listened to 33 books last year—up from my typical 18–including an entire re-listen to Jim Butcher’s Dresden Files series.

In the first weeks of 2025, I’ve already knocked out four books, which is a measure of how eager I am to find things to keep me occupied.

If anyone’s interested these were…

• “4000 Weeks: Time Management for Mortals” by Oliver Burkeman

• “Difficult Women: A History of Feminism in 11 Fights” by

  Helen Lewis

• “Big Magic: Creative Living Beyond Fear” by Elizabeth Gilbert

• “Eat, Pray, Love” by Elizabeth Gilbert

… all of which I would recommend.

Taking advantage of as many day passes as I can

While some of these trips home have practical purposes like reviewing the renovation upgrades and home care assessments, many are simply about spending time at home with Stefan and the puppies. We always say we’re going to take it easy with these trips, but invariably we end up going out, grabbing a coffee or treat in the neighbourhood and generally trying to catch up on regular old life.

It makes these trips incredibly bittersweet as, at the end of the day, I still have to go back to the hospital because we’re not sufficiently equipped and resourced for me to come home.

This has been hard on all of us. Stefan commented recently when we were all snuggled and resting on our bed that the dogs are much calmer when I’m home and increasingly whiny and agitated when I’m not.

I know it won’t be long before we can put this time apart behind us… but I think we’re all tired of being patient.

Lucy sulking in her crate as I head back to the hospital

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